The present invention relates in general to the field of computer systems and more specifically to detecting unfavorable cooling conditions within a computer system.
Systems management is the installation, configuration, monitoring and maintenance of a computer system, including the hardware, the operating system and the application programs. As businesses continue to integrate computers into their day-to-day operations, their computer systems, such as LAN or workgroup networks, become increasingly complex and extensive and, as a result, systems management becomes more important.
Systems management software is used to facilitate systems management by overseeing all aspects of a business computer system including hardware, networks, operating systems, middle ware, and applications. The goal of systems management software is to reduce the overall cost of operating the business systems. For example, systems management software can allow the systems administrator to install, configure, and manage a large number of computer problems from a central location.
Systems management software focus on several tasks such as configuration management, asset management, problem management and event management. Configuration management enables system administrators to install and update systems and to perform remote configuration tasks. Asset and inventory management is the process of obtaining financial and content information of the systems deployed on the network. Problem management provides a way to isolate system problems and resolve these problems remotely or in an automated fashion.
Event management monitors the health and status of systems on the network. From a remote console, a systems administrator can determine the status of a computer system and take action when a particular event occurs. This function is implemented by instrumentation, a software layer that allows system management software to interact directly with the computer system hardware. This allows a system administrator to service components such as hard-disk drives, memory and other computer system hardware before the component actually fails. For example, if a computer system has a fan that is slowing down below a predetermined threshold, the system management software reports the event, allowing the administrator to dispatch a technician to repair the fan before it fails. The system management software can report events to the system administrator by delivering messages in any number of ways such as a graphical interface, by electronic mail, or by alphanumeric pages.
One important factor in maintaining a computer system is the regulation of thermal conditions inside the computer chassis. If the thermal conditions are unfavorable, then the functionality of the computer system components can be adversely affected. Systems management software can help a system administrator monitor the thermal conditions inside the chassis of each computer or server in the computer system. Sensing devices placed inside the chassis can measure the thermal conditions of the interior and relay this information to the system management software. The system management software can then determine whether of not the thermal conditions are satisfactory or require technical support. However, the system management software depends on the sensing devices to determine whether the system administrator needs to be alerted to unfavorable thermal conditions.
Currently, systems management software use sensing devices which measure the speed of the chassis fans and the chassis temperature. However, this data is insufficient for the system management software to determine several important cooling conditions inside the chassis. For example, users may need to calculate thermal conditions for high-temperature components. Another important condition is the quality of air drawn through the chassis. Merely knowing the temperature or fan speed inside the chassis may not give an accurate assessment of the air quality or dust buildup inside the chassis. Given the importance of maintaining proper thermal conditions inside a computer system, an apparatus or method needs to be implemented with system management software to reliably determine whether or not there is adequate system cooling inside the chassis.
In accordance with teachings of the present disclosure, a system and method are described for using one or more anemometers to detect unfavorable conditions inside a computer system.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an anemometer is mounted inside the chassis of a computer system and is electronically connected to system management software so that the measurements made by the anemometer can be collected and processed by the system management software. The system management software sets a predetermined value for the minimum acceptable speed of airflow through the computer system. This predetermined value is based on the minimum air speed that is necessary for avoiding unfavorable conditions inside the computer system, such as overheating and the accumulation of dust. If the anemometer gives a measurement for air speed that falls below or approaches this predetermined value, the system management software will generate an appropriate response, such as alerting the system administrator.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, more than one anemometer is mounted inside the computer system. Each anemometer can be located near a particular computer component, such as a fan, processor or digital storage device. Anemometers may also be placed in areas inside the computer system where problems with adequate airflow are suspected or known to exist.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more anemometers are used with other sensing devices which are also electronically connected with the system management software. In this embodiment, the system management software can process measurements collected from the other sensing devices and compare them to the measurements sent by the anemometers
The disclosed system and method provides several technical advantages over conventional approaches for identifying and predicting unfavorable conditions within a computer system. For example, the anemometer allows the system management software to collect additional data regarding the environmental conditions inside the computer system. This additional data allows the system management software to predict problems or identify the source of existing unfavorable conditions more accurately.
In addition, the system management software can utilize the anemometer as a calibration tool and a controlling device. This allows the system management software to establish accurate guidelines for alerting the system administrator to possible problems and to address the problem automatically without the need for immediate intervention by the system administrator or a technician.
Other technical advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following specification, claims, and drawings.